MINOR SEMI FINAL
Kincumber v Umina
Kincumber look to extend on their winning record over Umina in 2025, defeating the E-Gals when it matters the most and ending their season as the Roos have their sights set on silverware.
Having already met three times this season, Kincumber hold bragging rights over their Minor Semi-Final opponents heading into Saturday, securing two wins and a draw against Umina throughout the regular season.
Their first meeting was fitting for our inaugural Magic Round as these two sides produced an 8-goal thriller at Pluim Park with the Roos walking away 5-3 victors.
Midfielder Nina Boije Af Gennas featured on the scoresheet twice during that fixture and was a standout for Kincumber.
Their next meeting occurred on a Wednesday night at Bloodtree Oval, and nothing could separate these two sides after ninety minutes as the result finished 1-1.
When these sides battled for a third and final time, they took to Pluim Park once more for another mid-week meeting with Kincumber coming from 2-1 down to record a 3-2 victory thanks to a Mina Brisebois winner.
Now looking towards this weekend, this will serve as the second straight year these two have met in the minor semi-final as Kincumber know they have what it takes to beat this team on the big stage.
Despite being their second finals appearance in as many years, this fixture will serve as Kincumber’s head coach Tamer Mansour’s maiden finals appearance with this outfit.
Despite wrapping up a finals position quite early, this year hasn’t been without its challenges as Mansour states. “I feel like most WPL teams suffered a lot of injuries, but lack of depth in the club has definitely been an issue.”
“What has impressed me most is the young talent and how much they push themselves and show constant improvement on and off the field.”
With player availability a possible concern once again this weekend, Mansour is adamant that if his team is full strength, they can challenge anyone they come up against.
“If we have a full team we can beat any team in this competition. The girls are resilient and work hard regardless of how tough things get thrown at them!”
Although undefeated against Umina this year, Tamer knows beating this side is no easy feat. “Our three games against Umina could have gone both ways.”
“Finals are different, and we know that they are physical and in-form. Umina also have some of the best midfielders and strikers in the league.”
“Considering the injuries and lack of numbers, my girls will have to work hard for the ninety minutes, keep their composure and finish their chances. As I always say to my girls, you go on the field and do your best, the result will come!”
When Umina met Kincumber in last year’s Minor Semi-Final, it was the E-Gals who entered the contest with all the momentum as they were undefeated against Kincumber in the regular season with 2 wins and 1 draw.
Now finding themselves in a complete 180, Umina will be well aware that Finals Football is a whole different story, and previous results don’t mean anything unless you back it up when it matters the most.
Umina only secured their top four spot on the final day of the year thanks to an impressive 4-1 win over Kanwal. That served as the fourth fixture this season where Dave Brewer’s side were able to put four goals past an opponent.
Much like his counterpart, Brewer wasn’t around this team for last year’s Finals Series, so this will also serve as his first finals appearance during his inaugural year for this side.
“This year I have been really impressed with how much the team wants to learn and then apply what we work on. The team really wants to improve and be the best they can be,” voiced Brewer.
“They have also impressed me with their toughness and want to play even when injured. I have had to hold players back this year on multiple occasions to try and ensure their long-term fitness over any potential short-term gains.”
“I think our biggest hurdle this year would be the same as a lot of teams, lack of numbers. We started the season with the minimum of 14 players and even though we picked up a couple during the year, we have also lost a few which has left us just able to field a team.”
“Luckily this team will continue to fight no matter what, and it has helped to give our under 18’s more exposure to the WPL which will help us in the future.”
Dave also mentioned what sets this group apart from the other club competition in the Finals Series. “The big difference for us compared to the other teams in the finals is that we are going into this with no pressure on us at all.”
“Obviously there is a lot of pressure on Killarney after the season they have had but there is also a lot of pressure on Kincumber to beat us. We had a goal of making the finals at the start of the year and we have achieved that so anything extra from here is a bonus for us.”
“It means that our team can play with complete freedom and really enjoy themselves which will hopefully bring out the best in them.”
Dave also gave his insight into the opposition and what he believes is required from his team to keep their season alive and go one game away from the Grand Final. “Kincumber is a team that plays to their strengths. They have players that can play a good long ball and speed up front to chase it down.”
“We have shown in our most recent encounters that we can not only match them but outplay them. Unfortunately for us we have had a few games with dodgy decisions that have cost us those games, but saying that, we need to be better and take away any opportunity for that to occur.”
“For us to be successful this weekend we need to have confidence in ourselves and come out with the right attitude and effort. We need to be willing to work hard and put ourselves in the right positions, or we won’t get the result we are after.”
MAJOR SEMI FINAL
Killarney v East Gosford
Killarney will look to keep their unbeaten season rolling into the Finals as this year’s League Champions are favourites to take out the Grand Final but must get past a determined East Gosford side looking for their third straight appearance in the big dance.
Killarney are entering the 2025 Finals Series coming off a historic undefeated campaign where they finished the regular season with 20 wins, 1 draw, and 0 losses, an incredible feat by a team that has gone through their third coaching change in as many years.
When Sarah Hudson was appointed as head coach in the pre-season, and on paper, they quickly became one of the teams to beat without having even stepped on the pitch due to the quality of players Hudson was able to attract to the black and white.
Hudson has voiced that bringing this squad together has proved to be one of her biggest challenges. “I think our biggest hurdle this year has been taking a group of talented individuals and turning them into a real team.”
“At the start, everyone brought their own strengths and styles, but it took time to gel and trust one another. The WAA1’s have been fantastic in that process too, giving us depth and energy when we needed it. Now you can really see how much they enjoy playing for each other, and that’s probably been the biggest growth for us.”
Sarah also went on to speak about the season as a whole and what separates her squad from the rest. “What’s impressed me most is the way the players have bought into the narrative.”
“Week after week, they’ve shown up with the right attitude, not just to play, but to improve and support one another. The talent is there, of course, but it’s the togetherness and willingness to do the hard work that’s really stood out. That’s what’s made the season so special.”
This is just the second time in the club’s history that they have received League Champions in 2025, but for a team that also won silverware in the Association Cup, a treble is on the line for this group of players.
There are no questions Killarney will enter the 2025 Finals Series as favourites and with an enormous target on their back, especially this weekend against East Gosford.
These sides have been the two most consistent WPL teams all season and it’s only fitting they met in the Major Semi-Final with the winner booking their place in this year’s Grand Final.
Having faced this opposition already four times this season, Hudson and her group are gearing up for another tough encounter with the Rams.
“East Gosford are a quality side and we’ve had some really tough battles with them this year. We might have had the results go our way, but finals are a completely different story, past results don’t count for much now. They’ll be hungry, and we know we’ll need to be right at our best to compete.”
Listing her keys to success, Hudson voiced what she expects from her team to get the job done on Sunday. “The key is sticking to our processes.”
“We’ve done our homework, we know where East Gosford are strong, and we’ll do our best to limit that. At the same time, we’ve identified areas we can exploit, but most importantly, we need to back ourselves and play our brand of football.”
Another year for East Gosford, and another second-place finish in WPL for the Rams in 2025 which marks three seasons in a row East Gosford have achieved this feat.
The Rams will also be chasing their third straight Grand Final appearance as this team has a ton of experience when it comes to Finals Football.
2023 was a year to remember for the Rams. In their first-ever Finals appearance, East Gosford were able to defeat an unbeaten Terrigal side 3-2, handing the O’lasses their first loss of the season to claim their inaugural WPL trophy and Grand Final win.
The following season, East Gosford and Terrigal met again in the Grand Final, with the Tords getting the best of East Gosford this time around in a 1-0 loss, thanks to a goal in extra time.
Despite picking up a new coach in 2025, John Jiggins, this WPL squad will be adamant to get back into the final game of the year where they feel they belong and bring the Premiers trophy back to Hylton Moore.
Jiggins and his squad finished the year with 48 points to their name thanks to 15 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses. Those three losses, and another loss in the Association Cup Grand Final, have all come from the hands of Killarney as they look for redemption come Sunday.
Like many other teams, getting players on the park has been a big issue for Jiggins in his inaugural season. “Throughout this season we have had an incredible injury toll.”
“However, my team has shown both resilience and courage to maintain their position on the table. We have been backed up by our AA1s, 18s and 16s!”
Jiggins also mentioned the opposition, crediting their quality players as he looks forward to seeing the two sides step onto the pitch together again.
“Although we have played Killarney three times in the winter season with no results, I feel that we have always been both competitive and close to winning those games. Their team is filled with a vast majority of ex-representative players who know what it takes to win, but we are on the right track to achieving this as well!”
As far as what is required from his side to be successful on Sunday, Jiggins voiced, “We need to be clinical in both defence and attack if we wish to spring an upset this weekend.”
“We knowingly go into the game having not beaten them all season but with the determination and courage to play our very best and to strive to improve on our previous performances against them.”
Semi Final Fixtures –
